Ghost of a Thought
by Holy Spork
Summary: AU. An angel is stolen away, leaving behind only memories and the ghost of who he once was.
1. Awaken

I can already hear people shouting, "YOU HAVE TWO STORIES, A PARODY, AND A COLLAB TO WORK ON! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING STARTING A NEW STORY?!". If this wasn't what you were thinking, then thank you, if you were, my response is, "Because I can't write anything else at the moment". I'm actually hoping to kind of use this as a springboard to get me out of my horrific writer's block.

This story is AU if you didn't read the summary.

And there are spoilers, but I suspect no one cares.

...Instead of a real disclaimer I'll just say I own nothing. Meh.

* * *

_Ghost of a Thought_

Chapter I: Awaken

_Light and sound._

_Shouting and panic._

_Fear and pain._

_Then blackness._

* * *

He came to wakefulness, as if rising from a dark fog.

Opening his eyes he was met with a bright glaring light. He flinched as the light stung his eyes. After a moment it became almost painless to see, so he sat up and took in his new surroundings.

He was laying in a bed, one of many lined up in neat, evenly spaced rows. He appeared to be in a hospital ward, though there were no other patients, and no doctors or nurses in sight. There was no sign that this room was used on a regular basis, if at all. There was no clutter, nothing on the bedside tables, nothing to suggest this room had not been simply constructed then forgotten.

"So, you have awakened."

The patient turned his head and saw two figures approaching him. One was a tall blond man with the bearing of an absolute ruler. The other was another man with a blue ponytail and a blank expression.

"Who are you?" asked the patient apprehensively as the two came to stand by his bed.

"We are your companions" said the blond man. "Do you not recall us?"

The patient tried to remember these people... but soon realized he could remember -

"Nothing," he said aloud, terrified by this revelation. "I don't remember anything. Not who you are, not my name, where I'm from... nothing!"

"You had an accident," said the blond man. "We were afraid you might have amnesia."

"What's my name?" demanded the patient, fear in his eyes. "What happened? Who are you? Where are we?"

"This is Derris-Kharlan," explained the blond man, "the homeland of Cruxis, of the angels. Your homeland."

The patient stared. "W... what?"

The blond man closed his eyes, and from his back unfurled two large luminescent wings. The patient almost jumped in surprise, eyes wide with shock.

"All of Cruxis, including yourself, are angels," said the blond man, flapping his wings lazily. "We seek to create a world where there is no discrimination, a world with nothing but eternal peace. Derris-Kharlan floats above the twin worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, which we rule. Does any of this sound familiar?"

"N-no," stammered the patient, unsure if he could keep up.

"Then when you are better, I shall explain everything to you," said the blond man. "For now, my name is Mithos Yggdrasill, and I am the leader of Cruxis and your master. This," he gestured to the other man who had not said a word or changed his expression, "is Yuan, your fellow seraph. And your name, my friend," Yggdrasill's smile widened just a little, "is Lloyd Aurion."

* * *

A/N: Yes, this is a Cruxis Lloyd fic.

Yes, I have officially joined the dark side

Yes, I'm using a plot twist as cliche as amnesia.

No, I can't come up with anything better

Please review.


	2. Confusion

Hey, I'm back.

Again.

With another short chapter.

I'll try to make the chapters longer from now on.

* * *

Chapter II: Confusion

The seraph named Lloyd Aurion felt overwhelmed.

The other two angels had left, leaving him behind to rest and recover. He lay curled up in his bed, eyes tight shut as he tried to remember his old friends, this place, and all they had done before his accident. He couldn't even remember what his accident had been.

Very quickly, staying in one place became more intolerable as his curiosity began to nag him. Maybe if he wandered this Derris-Kharlan place, he would see something that would trigger a memory. He wanted to meet the other angels, find out what the others were like, and if he ever knew any of them.

Becoming impatient, Lloyd slid off the bed and began to wander. When he found the door out of the infirmary, he walked through it and he found himself in the strangest place he had ever seen... though currently the only place he ever remembered being in was the room he had just left.

Above him was a glass dome, beyond which he could see the stars, glittering and distant pinpricks of light. All around him were tall buildings, and people flying around. They all had snow-white wings.

Other angels!

Come to think of it...

Lloyd looked over his shoulder. He didn't have wings, did he? Then how could he be an angel? Wait a moment... Yggdrasill had those weird shiny wings. Maybe he had the same kind of wings.

But how did he draw them?

He couldn't feel them, that was for sure. Lloyd tried to concentrate, picturing wings in his mind, but nothing happened. Maybe the amnesia messed him up more than he had first thought.

Realizing he would have to stay earthbound for now, he began to wander the 'city'. When one of the white-winged angels floated past him, he reached out and grabbed the angel by the arm.

"Hey," said Lloyd. "Do you remember me?"

"Please release me," said the angel, in a monotone.

"It's just, I lost my memory," Lloyd continued, his courage wavering. The other angel's stare was blank and emotionless, as if they were gems and not eyes at all.

"Please release me," repeated the angel.

Wordlessly, Lloyd did so, and the angel continued on its original route as if nothing had happened.

Lloyd tried this again with another angel, but received the exact same response. The angels would not respond to his questions and would only ask that he let them go.

Suddenly Lloyd felt tired. He sat down, back resting against a metal wall, stand stared up at the glass dome above him, and the angels floating by.

This place was so... empty. Its inhabitants were empty. Not just them either, but the place itself was just so... devoid of... anything. Everything. Lloyd wasn't sure if he was comfortable with this, but then, Mithos said this had once been his home. It must be his amnesia, Lloyd decided, that made this place seem so cold and alien.

Lloyd examined the back of his left hand, where a small violet gem rested on a bronze-colored mount.

An... Exsphere.

He recalled the name, vaguely what they were, and the function of the surrounding Key Crest, but could not remember where he had acquired his. He held his hand a little closer to his face to examine the gem and the Key Crest in more detail. The writing on the Crest seemed familiar, but he couldn't read it. He looked back at the Exsphere itself. There was something about it -

"Lord Lloyd."

The seraph's thoughts were interrupted. He turned at the sound of his name and saw another angel, with that strange glassy stare, float over to him.

"Lord Yggdrasill has summoned you," said the angel. "You are to meet him in his throne room."

"O...okay," said Lloyd, uncertainly. "Uh... where is the throne room?"

The angel pointed wordlessly down another path. Lloyd thanked the angel, but did not get a response.

Lloyd wandered around aimlessly, occasionally asking angels for directions. He had no idea how long it took him to reach the throne room, it could have been minutes or days.

When he did (at last) arrive, he found Yggdrasill was sitting on his throne, Yuan standing to his left. The two looked up as Lloyd approached; it seemed that they had been talking before Lloyd arrived.

Yggdrasill frowned. "You are late."

"Sorry," said Lloyd, nervously. "I forgot where the throne room was."

Yggdrasill's frown deepened, while Yuan smirked.

"Um... you needed me for something?" Lloyd asked, feeling a little foolish.

"Yes," Yggdrasill began, "I believe it is time I explained things to you, and when you understand, have a task for you."

* * *

**A/N:** And thus I leave you with another sorta cliffhanger.

Please review.


	3. Questions

...Okay, so the chapters aren't getting longer. But I guess that's balanced out by the fact that I'm actually updating this more than twice a year.

...I feel bad now. T.T

* * *

Chapter III: Questions

_Several minutes prior to Lloyd's arrival..._

Yggdrasill was not pleased.

"He should have arrived by now," Yggdrasill said to Yuan, who had his arms crossed.

"Lloyd wouldn't be familiar with Welgaia, my lord," said Yuan, not looking at the other angel. "He could easily be only lost."

Yuan looked to the 'sky', made of swirling purple clouds and floating stones.

"Why did you convert Lloyd?"

Yggdrasill glared at his servant. "Are you questioning me?"

"I am merely curious as to your logic," Yuan said, calmly, not taking his eyes off the clouds. "Why would you wish to convert your enemy into an ally in such a manner?"

Yggdrasill smirked. "Do you recall the phrase 'cut off the head and the body will die'?"

"...Yes," said Yuan, sure now he knew where his lord's explanation was heading.

"That is exactly what I have done," Yggdrasill said, triumphantly. "Lloyd's dear friends look up to him. With him as our ally, they will be crushed, and their futile and irritating resistance will be eliminated."

"What about Kratos?"

Yggdrasill raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

Yuan paused, wondering if it was really wise to ask, but decided he could not retract his question now. "I only wonder if perhaps what you did was truly necessary."

Yggdrasill's face contorted with sudden rage. "HE BETRAYED ME!" he screamed at Yuan, losing all appearance of calm, shaking with anger. "KRATOS DESERVED HIS PUNISHMENT! HE WAS LEAKING INFORMATION TO LLOYD AND HIS FRIENDS THIS WHOLE TIME! THAT JUST PROVES THAT _ALL_ HUMANS ARE FILTH THAT CANNOT BE TRUSTED!"

Yuan stared at Yggdrasill, stunned at this outburst. It was rare to see the leader of Cruxis lose control like this. Perhaps he was more deeply affected by Kratos' betrayal that Yuan had first thought. Yggdrasill quickly relaxed again, his fury dissipating.

"Although," Yggdrasill added, "I think Kratos should be grateful for what I did. At least now he can't pine for that dirty Angelus Project host anymore. Perhaps his son will prove to be more useful... despite his heritage."

Yuan said nothing. He felt his stare wander to the floor, trying to ignore the guilt he felt creeping up. Perhaps he should have intervened...

The two angels looked up when they heard someone approach the throne. It was Lloyd, looking embarrassed.

Yggdrasill frowned at his newest servant. "You are late."

"Sorry," said Lloyd, scratching the back of his head. "I forgot where the throne room was."

Yuan couldn't manage to suppress a smirk.

"Um... you needed me for something?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes," Yggdrasill started. "I believe it is time I explained things to you. And when you understand, have a task for you."

* * *

**A/N:** ...For some reason, it seems kinda funny to me that this chapter ends in the same place as last one.

And I'm starting to kind of explain things. Vagueness is fun. Yay.

Please review.


	4. Disappear

Finally, a long(er) chapter!

Quickly I want to apologize if my author's notes or the story seem... off. Life has left me in a pretty much constant state of bewilderment, but I don't want to wait to post this chapter. I like it too much. (So please forgive me if there are any obvious mistakes.)

* * *

Chapter IV: Disappear

"...I don't understand... where could Lloyd have gone?"

Raine looked down at the hopeless expression on Colette's face, the child's blue eyes filled with confusion. Raine could understand the Chosen's feelings; everyone was asking themselves that same question.

The boy seemed to have simply vanished in the middle of the night.

Worse yet, Lloyd wasn't the only one.

"Do you think that maybe Mithos went outside, got attacked by monsters, and Lloyd was hurt trying to help him?" Genis asked Raine, who had no answers.

Until recently, they had been searching for the ingredients to create a cure for Colette's Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium. They had acquired the mana leaf herb and the zircon, but had yet to find the mana fragment. They had returned to Altessa's house, where Mithos had been staying, to rest and prepare before heading to the Tower of Salvation, which held unknown dangers. The last night before they were to leave, Mithos and Lloyd vanished without a trace.

It had already been two days since Lloyd and Mithos had disappeared. Colette and the others had spent most of those two days searching for the missing boys, sometimes using Noishe to try and sniff them out. But the 'dog' couldn't find them. If instructed to find Lloyd, (by allowing Noishe to sniff one of Lloyd's old gloves) Noishe would always bring them to the same forest clearing every single time, sit down, and whine piteously. Everyone simply assumed he lost the trail at that point.

"I don't get it," muttered Zelos, mostly to himself. "Where could Lloyd and Mithos have possibly gone?"

"We will need to leave for the Tower of Salvation soon," Regal pointed out. "Otherwise Colette's disease will progress further."

"I'll be okay!" the Chosen blurted hurriedly. "I'm worried about Lloyd and Mithos!"

"Regal is correct though, Colette," said Presea. "If we do not retrieve the mana fragment, we cannot cure you."

"But... Lloyd..." Colette's eyes filled with tears. "What if he's hurt? What if he can't get help?" Colette began to shake now. "W-what if he... he's..."

"We are just as concerned for Lloyd's safety as you are," Regal said. "And I think that if he were here, he would urge us to save you."

"Then when you are well again," added Raine, "we can continue searching for Lloyd and Mithos."

"But..." Sheena started. "...We can't just... leave them!"

"It has already been two days," Presea said, with deceptive calm. "They might not even be in the area anymore. To search further would take more time that we can afford. With Colette cured, then we would have no other immediate objectives, and we can search for Lloyd and Mithos more thoroughly."

Sheena, Genis, and Colette were not happy that they were about to simply abandon their friends. However, they saw the truth in Raine, Presea, and Regal's words.

"Bud can take care of himself," Zelos asserted, breaking the heavy silence. "I'm sure he can look after the twerp."

"Don't call Mithos that!" snapped Genis.

"That's enough, both of you!" Raine growled, before the two could begin to argue. "The last thing we need is for us to lose our heads!"

Genis glared at Zelos, but didn't speak.

"The sooner we retrieve the mana fragment," Regal began, "the sooner we can continue searching for Lloyd and Mithos."

"So... it's off to the Tower of Salvation, then," Sheena said, a little absently.

* * *

They flew to the Tower of Salvation on the Rheairds, landing by a crystalline staircase that led up to the entrance. Zelos opened the door with the Cruxis Crystal he had retrieved from his sister days before.

Inside the Tower, they found themselves on a platform that extended over a bottomless green void, filled only with the coffins of failed Chosens. They quickly passed through the hall filled with nothing but death, and stepped on the circular warp pad. Immediately they were transported to a circular stone disk, with a semicircular platform in front of them.

"This place... is so cold," Presea murmured to herself, as she looked around. It was hard to believe this was the interior of a structure called the Tower of 'Salvation'.

"...So it is," Regal agreed, he too unable to shake an uneasy feeling.

It was beginning to dawn on those from Sylvarant and Sheena, that this area was very familiar.

"That pillar over here..." Genis slowly approached the broken pillar, its top half missing. "Isn't this the pillar Lloyd broke when we were in Sylvarant's Tower? When he got thrown around?"

"But this is Tethe'alla's Tower," Sheena pointed out, she too staring at the pillar in question. "How can it be the same?"

Colette had felt a cold chill creep over her as soon as she had entered this place. There had been the coffins down by the warp pad, forever floating in endless space...

"I... I can't stop shaking..." she murmured, almost to herself. "I know this is the same place!"

"How... can that be possible?" Raine wondered allowed, awestruck.

"Because it is at this place that the two worlds are joined."

They all turned at the sound of this new voice, and could not believe their eyes when they saw the speaker. Colette and the others could only stare, eyes wide and mouths open.

On the platform above them stood Lloyd, it was undeniably Lloyd, but something was different, he had changed. His demeanor was different, the way he held himself. His youthful face lacked the smile it always seemed to have. His eyes seemed to have lost their normal warmth, there was nothing remotely friendly about this person. He was wearing some strange red and white clothes, not dissimilar from Kratos' Cruxis outfit.

Lloyd tried to ignore the stunned looks on their upturned faces.

"_You were once a spy in their ranks," _Yggdrasill had told him. _"They knew you as Lloyd Irving, and you befriended them in order to watch them for me. They never knew you were one of us, so ignore them if they call to you, or try to persuade you to return to them. Remember, these people are wicked sinners who seek to destroy our peace. Capture them alive and bring Sylvarant's Chosen of Regeneration directly to me, understand?"_

"Lloyd..."

Colette took a step forward.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, feeling as if she had walked into a nightmare. "Why are you - ?"

Lloyd drew his swords. "We will take the Chosen as the new body for Martel."

"Lloyd, what are you talking about?" Sheena almost screamed the words. "What's gotten into you?"

The new seraph tried to drown out their words; they were his enemies, he couldn't listen to them!

As they watched a pair of bird-like wings grew from his back, giving him a fourteen foot wingspan. They were a green-blue color, and were ethereal rather than solid, just like the wings of the other seraphim of Cruxis.

Wings?

But Lloyd wasn't... he couldn't be... an angel!

As Colette and the others were absorbed in this new terrible revelation, Lloyd jumped down from the platform, new wings beating as he rushed at them. He attacked Raine first, his attack neatly breaking her staff in two before she could snap out of her confusion.

All the others backed away as far as they could from their former friend, as he waited silently for one of them to attack first.

"Lloyd, snap out of it!" shouted Genis shouted, terrified of this change in his best friend.

Lloyd bit his tongue, and tried to shut out their voices.

"What are you doing here?" Raine demanded, holding her broken staff, as if that somehow had the answer. "Where did you get those wings?"

"I am an angel of Cruxis!" Lloyd shouted, trying to drown out their pleading. "And I am here to take the Chosen! So get out of the way!"

He took a step towards them, but they did not move.

"What are you... talking about?" Presea asked, her voice as emotionless as it was before she met Lloyd and his friends. "You are with Cruxis? How can that be?"

"But you can't be!" Colette shouted, shaking. "No, that's impossible! Lloyd would never - !"

"Be quiet!" Lloyd yelled. Why wouldn't they stop? Why did they have to keep insisting they were his friend? He used to spy on these people! Okay, he didn't remember any of them, but he was never their friend! Not for real.

He lifted his swords and charged right at Colette, thinking if he could just knock her out, then he could take her away quickly. Then he could take care of the others and -

Before the last thought had even solidified in his head, Presea swiftly raised her ax and whacked him with the side of her weapon, as if she were hitting a baseball.

The blow knocked all the breath from Lloyd's body, and hurled him away from his targets. He lay on the cold stone a moment, stunned. Then with a quick beat of his wings, he staggered to his feet again, but saw too late the spell circle at Genis' feet.

"Ice Tornado!"

Lloyd couldn't move away fast enough. He was caught in the cyclone of whirling ice, the cold stinging his exposed skin, the spell tossing him around as if he were only a feather. As soon as the spell dissipated, and before Lloyd could regain his balance, Sheena leaped at him, shouting "Demon Seal!"

Lloyd staggered backwards in a cloud of paper, panting heavily. When the paper vanished, he raised his swords again, panic beginning to set in. These guys were all really strong! He heard someone run up behind him, but turned around too late, as Regal landed a powerful kick that sent Lloyd flying, skidding against the floor painfully before coming to a full stop.

He used his swords to prop himself up again, shaking as he stood up. His enemies did not move, but their guard remained up, and aside from breaking Raine's staff, he hadn't even done any damage yet. He wasn't yet used to his angelic powers, which Yggdrasill had shown him how to use. As an angel, a seraph no less, he was supposed to be stronger than any other species. But, as he had not yet truly learned to use his powers, that did not aid him now.

Lloyd was losing, and losing badly.

As if summoned by his thoughts, an entire swarm of lifeless angels descended upon Colette and the others, coming to Lloyd's aid. The angels mercilessly attacked Lloyd's former companions, until they could no longer fight back.

When his enemies lay broken and defeated, the angels turned to Lloyd, awaiting instructions. Panting heavily, the seraph's gazed passed over his wounded enemies. They weren't unconscious, and he saw the looks of terror, pain, and anger in their eyes.

He returned his attention to the lesser angels.

"Take them away and lock them up," Lloyd ordered, sheathing his swords. "I will bring the Chosen to Lord Yggdrasill directly."

The angels bowed their heads to him and murmured a respectful, "yes, Lord Lloyd."

Lloyd returned his attention to Colette, who stood stock still, shaking with fear. He walked slowly towards her, his footsteps echoing too loudly.

Colette backed away from what had once been her dearest friend. His cold stare frightened her; he had never look at her that way before! He was always smiling and hopeful. This... this person couldn't possibly be Lloyd!

"Lloyd, what are you doing?!" Colette sobbed, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Just be quiet," Lloyd snapped. He grabbed her by the arm. "You're coming with me."

"Lloyd, it's me! Colette!" the Chosen shouted desperately, as Lloyd dragged her away from her friends. She could only watch helplessly as the soulless angels led the others away, taking them Goddess knew where. "Please, listen to me! LLOYD!"

"I said, SHUT UP!" Lloyd snapped.

Colette meekly fell silent, shaking and crying in quiet fear and despair.

He hated this, the way these people acted as if he were their friend! He hated seeing the hurt in their eyes as he 'betrayed' them. But Yggdrasill had said these people were bad, and he trusted Yggdrasill.

He glanced down at the pained and terrified look on Colette's face and felt something inside him squirm.

* * *

A/N: ...I love that last line.

Poor Lloyd.

The fight scene was... meh. I actually debated for a while whether or not Lloyd should actually win. I decided not. Because, let's face it, he's just got his angel powers. It's not like he'll figure out how to use them until he sets at least one thing on fire.

I know the clothing choice for Cruxis Lloyd is super unoriginal (a red variation of the 'judgment' outfit), but I'm horrible at that kind of thing. (Might still look cool though...)

...And I shrank Lloyd's huge wings on purpose. In a real fight, wings that big would be more of a hindrance than a help.

Please review.


	5. Captured

Back to the short chapters we come.

Apparently consistency fell into the same black hole as any writing skills I had.

Sorry.

* * *

Chapter V: Captured

Yuan stared above him at the purple 'sky', his arms folded. To his left, Yggdrasill sat in his throne, looking rather bored.

"Lord Yuan. Lord Yggdrasill."

The two seraphim looked over at a lesser angel floating over to them. The angel approached the throne and bowed deeply to the two seraphim. The angel knew its place.

"Lord Lloyd has captured the Chosen and the other intruders," the angel informed them, straightening up, its glassy eyes staring straight ahead into nothing.

Yggdrasill smirked. "Our new pawn does his job well, it seems."

The lifeless angel continued with its report, without apparently noticing that Yggdrasill had spoken. "The angels who assisted Lord Lloyd are escorting the prisoners to the cells. Lord Lloyd is bringing the Chosen here directly."

Yggdrasill frowned. "He did not capture them on his own?"

"No, my lord."

"How... disappointing."

"You are dismissed," Yuan told the lifeless angel, who floated away, leaving the seraphim.

Yggdrasill leaned back in his throne. "Lloyd should have been able to deal with them on his own."

Yuan said nothing for a moment. After a silence he found uncomfortable, he finally spoke.

"I'll take my leave."

"So soon?" Yggdrasill asked. Yuan frowned.

"Yes, I'm leaving," Yuan said, walking away from the throne without a backward glance.

"Where are you going?" Yggdrasill demanded.

Yuan stopped, but did not look at his old companion. "I do not need your permission to - "

"Tell me where you are going," Yggdrasill snarled.

Yuan turned around, crossing his arms. "If you absolutely must know... I was going to visit Kratos."

Yggdrasill's mood shifted from angry to merely annoyed.

"Fine. Then just go..." Yggdrasill said in a rather childish manner, crossing his arms.

Yuan vanished, warping away in a flash of light.

Yggdrasill glowered at the space where Yuan had once been.

"It's pointless... Why do you insist on doing something so utterly pointless?"

Yggdrasill did not have to wait for too long before the silence was broken. There was a brief flash of light, and two people, Lloyd with a weeping Chosen at his wide, appeared. Yggdrasill's fingers twitched a little as he remembered trying to help Lloyd learn how to warp. How could one person be so dense?

Lloyd led Colette in by the arm, quiet tears rolling down the girl's face. Lloyd looked almost as miserable, doubts beginning to swirl in his mind.

They approached the throne, Lloyd bowing his head stiffly, disliking the formality - it felt unnatural and forced to him. "I brought the Chosen... Lord... Yggdrasill..."

Yggdrasill glowered at Lloyd, making the boy feel even more uncomfortable. Why was Yggdrasill so angry? Didn't Lloyd do what Yggdrasill wanted him to do?

"I understand you had some... difficulty capturing these people." Yggdrasill stated, his disappointment clear.

Lloyd seemed embarrassed. "Y...yeah..."

"I should hope you will not always require assistance," Yggdrasill's voice was low and deadly. "Otherwise you may cease to be useful, and if you are not useful then you shall be disposed of. Understand?"

Lloyd started. Why was Yggdrasill talking like that? Weren't they friends? "But..."

Yggdrasill ignored him, and turned his attention to Colette, who was faint with fright.

"Now, Chosen, you shall finally fulfill your purpose. I will finally have a vessel for Martel..."

Colette couldn't say anything.

Yggdrasill's gaze snapped back to Lloyd.

"Lloyd, go to the storage warehouse in Welgaia and retrieve a mana fragment. We will need one to cure the Chosen. Then take her to one of the dwarves so she can be cured. We cannot give my sister a crystallized body."

"Um..." Lloyd hesitated. "Where is that? The storage - ?"

"Just go and get it!" Yggdrasill shouted, making Lloyd cringe.

Lloyd opened his mouth to speak, but instead just hung his head. "...Yes, Lord Yggdrasill." Lloyd turned to Colette and tugged on her arm, which he not once let go of. "Come with me," he ordered.

Colette looked from Yggdrasill, to Lloyd, and back.

"But..." Colette began.

"Just - " Lloyd stopped himself, realizing he had snapped at her. He didn't like this. He trusted Yggdrasill, but this didn't feel right. "Just... come with me." Lloyd began again this time in a gentler, though nervous tone. "Okay?"

Colette hung her head. "Okay..."

She didn't know what else she could do.

* * *

Yuan ignored the lesser angels as he flew past them; he held little interest in them. They had been lost long ago, and as they did not take notice of him, he did the same in return.

He landed when he found his destination - the prison. He dissolved his wings, thoughts wandering. He knew Lloyd's friends were nearby. He wanted to avoid them, and any questions they may have for him if they were to find him here.

Almost without conscious thought, he began to walk down the halls, navigating his way through the prison with ease. He knew where he had to go. Yuan had a knife hidden under his cape, and briefly touched the handle, as if reassuring himself. Its purpose was clear in the seraph's mind. He knew what he would do. He would do what must be done to save the world. He would do the kind thing, the merciful thing, the right thing.

Soon he came to a solid metal door, and stopped in front of it. There was a small pad on the side of the door, on which he placed his right had. There was a small beep, and then he heard the lock on the door slide back. Only the seraphim of Cruxis were permitted to go past this door. He stared at the door a moment before moving his hand to the door, and then paused again. He knew what to expect. He knew what was on the other side. He knew what had happened.

Yuan gently pulled the door open, and slowly stepped inside. There were no windows inside this too small room. No furniture, no clutter, nothing. It wasn't so much a prison cell as it was an empty room.

He stood in the doorway and looked at the prisoner who was sitting in a corner, leaning against a wall, his head bowed. The prisoner did not appear to notice Yuan.

The half-elf hesitated.

"...Kratos?"

A pair of pale red eyes looked up.


End file.
